As political parties enter a difficult week of coalition negotiations, the countdown has begun for the constitution of parliament, which has to be concluded within the next two weeks.
The first sittings of the National Assembly and provincial legislatures traditionally deal with the election of the president and the nine provincial premiers.
Council for the Advancement of the SA Constitution executive secretary Lawson Naidoo said now that the election result had been declared, “the clock starts ticking for parliament to be convened within 14 days”.
He said: “The chief justice will swear in all the 400 MPs, followed by the election of the speaker, deputy speaker and president. That’s the sequence of events moving forward.”
Parliament said all necessary preparations had been finalised for the establishment of the seventh National Assembly after the landmark election, which saw the ANC lose its outright majority for the first time.
Before the establishment of a new parliament and the election of a new president, the sequence of events involves the Electoral Commission of SA designating members of the National Assembly. These lists would be handed to chief justice Raymond Zondo, who would deliver them to parliament, parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said on Sunday.
“Currently, there is no National Assembly, and the process to establish the new house has commenced,” Mothapo said.
“The first sitting of the National Assembly must occur no more than 14 days after election results are declared. The chief justice determines and gazettes the date for this sitting. Before members of the National Assembly perform their functions in the assembly, they must swear or affirm faithfulness to the republic and obedience to the constitution.
“After the swearing-in of members, the chief justice presides over the election of the speaker of the National Assembly, who must, in turn, preside over the election of the deputy speaker,” said Mothapo.
The president is the last to be elected by the house because the National Assembly “must be duly constituted first to exercise its power to elect the president”. Zondo is set to preside over the election of the president.
Mothapo said Zondo’s office has officially gazetted the rules for the first sitting of the National Assembly: “These rules ... outline the procedures for the election of key parliamentary and provincial officials, including the president, the speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, and the chair and deputy chairs of the National Council of Provinces.”
Whoever is elected president would cease to be an MP and within five days he or she must assume office by “swearing or affirming faithfulness to the republic and obedience to the constitution at an inauguration ceremony”. The president would then be required to appoint his or her cabinet.
Mothapo said the first sitting of the National Assembly will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
“Parliament is fully prepared, and all necessary arrangements have been made for establishing the new National Assembly. Comprehensive plans are in place to ensure a seamless transition, including onboarding new MPs,” he said.
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